“Nigeria’s Democracy Cannot Survive On Hate”
By TINA TOLUTOPE
NIGERIA stands at a dangerous crossroads. As the country marks the International Day for Democracy, the message from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the United Nations, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is blunt: hate speech and unethical politics are eating away at the soul of our democracy.
Dr. Tony Ojukwu of the NHRC put it plainly—hate speech is not just about words. To the speaker, it may be free expression; to the target, it is a violation of dignity, equality, and safety. In a country scarred by ethnic, religious, and political divisions, hate speech does not remain rhetorical—it fuels apathy, stokes violence, and poisons elections.
The UN’s Mohamed Fall sounded a global alarm: hate speech and disinformation travel faster today than ever before, weaponized through digital platforms. Left unchecked, lies and hostile narratives erode trust in institutions, manipulate voters, and turn elections into battlegrounds. For Nigeria, where stakes are high and tensions deep, the consequences could be devastating.
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu was equally clear—ethical politics is not a luxury but a necessity. Reducing hate and fostering civility in political competition directly strengthens Nigeria’s electoral process. Without that, the burden on electoral institutions becomes unbearable.
The NHRC and UN are pushing for a Charter on Ethical and Hate-Free Politics, a pledge for parties to put people above politics, facts above falsehood, and values above violence. This must not be another forgotten document. It should be a binding political covenant, enforced not only by law but by public conscience.
Nigeria’s democracy will not survive on ballots alone. It will survive on the ethics we demand, the integrity of our information, and the rejection of hate as political currency. The warning is stark, the choice is ours: build a politics of dignity—or watch democracy corrode into chaos.
